Art of making engravings



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DE \VITT C. ROBERTS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ART OF MAKING ENGRAVINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,047, datedSeptember 9, 1890.

Application filed April 21, 1890. Serial No. 348,889. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

l3e it known that I, DE IVITT O. ROBERTS, a citlzen of the UnitedStates, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Art ofMaking Engravings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a means for rapidly producing engravings inrelief suitable for printing with ordinary letter-press, and especiallyadapted for use in illustrating newspapers.

My improved process of rapidly making relief-engravings is as follows: Itake ordinary matrix-papersuch as is used in the formation of matrices,and which consists of a firm even-textured smooth-surface sheet of ofpulp-and place this upon a bed-plate or table. Above this bed-plate ortable is a needle or punch attached to suitable mechanism,which gives ita very rapid up-and-down reciprocating movement or stroke, the motionbeing like the needle of a sewing-machine. The motion of this needle isadjusted so that in its lowermost position it shall not quite reach thebed-plate upon which the paper rests, but shall come so near thebed-plate as to penetrate the paper partly through its thickness; and inorder that the needle may penetrate the paper without going so farthrough as to cut the same, I employ a matrix-paper of suflicient bodyand thickness to permit of a considerable indentation being formed in itwithout severing the paper. With this needle or punch in rapid motionand upon the matrix-paper by its aid I form such design or picture inintaglio as may be desired. This I do by guiding the paper around byhand under the needle, in the same manner as patterns are stitched incloth upon a sewing-machine, or by guiding the needle over the paper.The motion of the needle should be very rapid and adjusted to thefeeding, so that the lines formed may be nearly or quite continuouswhere it is desired to produce a solid line; but where it is desired toproduce a dotted line the motion of the needle should be diminished orthe speed of the feed increased. When the intaglio impression has beenthus produced upon the matrix-paper, I place the same in an ordinarystereotypecasting box and pour type-metal upon it in the usual way andproduce a metallic casting or stereotype, which may be at once placed inthe form and printed from as ordinary type are used and in connectionwith such type.

The design or picture to be engraved may be drawn by the artist directlyupon the matrix-paper, or it maybe photographed upon such paper orotherwise marked or indicated thereon. This will enable the employmentof a comparatively unskilled person to do the work of indenting thematrix.

The point of the punch or needle should preferably have its lower endcut off on a surface parallel with the surface of the bedplate; but itmay be of any shape in crosssection desired. I havefound a punch that iscylindrical in cross section admirably adapted for the tracing of lines,as it presents the same form, however turned, in following the lines;but in some effects of shading, &c., needles having a pattern will befound useful.

I prefer to use for matrix material the ordinary matrix-paper; but ofcourse other material having the same or similar qualities may besubstituted for the matrix-paper.

By the aid of this extremely-rapid method of producing engravings thenewspaper-artist may bring in his sketch or drawing done up upon thematrix-paper, and in a few minutes the drawing, even though done inpencil, may be reproduced in metal ready for the press; and itis forthisuse that my improved method is particularly and especially adapted.

I claim 1. The process of rapidly making reliefimpression plates byindenting to a fixed depth matrix material with the required de sign,forming the lines step by step by the aid of a reciprocating needleoperating upon the matrix material while the same rests upon abed-plate, and then casting from this matrix the printing-plate inrelief, substantially as specified.

2. The piocess of producing stereotype-mathe matrix material to a fixeddepth step by trices by indenting the matrix material step step in linesof the desired design, substanby step with a, rapidly-vibrating needleor tially as specified.

punch to a certain depth, substantially as DE WITT C. ROBERTS. 5specified. \Vitnesses:

The process of making matrices for-the II. M. MUNDAY,

production of printing-plates by indenting EMMA HACK.

